---
title: 301 vs 302 Redirects: which one should you use?
description: Both send visitors from one URL to another — but to search engines they mean very different things. Use the wrong one and you can quietly tank your SEO. Here's the difference.
canonical: https://watchfor.io/blog/301-vs-302-redirects
---

# 301 vs 302 Redirects: which one should you use?

2026-03-04 · WatchFor Team · Networking · http, seo, basics

Both send visitors from one URL to another — but to search engines they mean very different things. Use the wrong one and you can quietly tank your SEO. Here's the difference.

Redirects are everywhere: you move a page, rebrand a URL, force HTTPS. Two codes do the job — **301** and **302** — and they look identical to a human. But to **search engines** they mean opposite things, and picking wrong can cost you rankings. Here's how to choose correctly.

## What each one means

Both are [3xx redirection](/blog/http-status-codes-explained) codes that send the browser to a new URL. The difference is *permanence*:

- **301 Moved Permanently** → "This page has a new home, **forever**. Update your records."
- **302 Found (temporary)** → "It's somewhere else **for now**, but keep using the original URL."

## Why the difference matters (SEO)

This is the whole point. Search engines treat them very differently:

| | 301 Permanent | 302 Temporary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Message to Google** | "Use the new URL from now on" | "Keep the old URL indexed" |
| **Ranking signal ("link juice")** | **Transfers** to the new URL | Largely **stays** with the old URL |
| **Index** | New URL replaces old | Old URL kept |
| **Browser caching** | Often cached aggressively | Not cached the same way |

> **The costly mistake:** using a **302** when you've *permanently* moved a page. Search engines keep the old URL indexed and don't pass ranking signals to the new one — so your shiny new URL never inherits the authority the old one earned. For permanent moves, use **301**.

## When to use which

| Use 301 (permanent) for… | Use 302 (temporary) for… |
| --- | --- |
| Moving a page to a new URL for good | A/B testing two versions |
| Rebranding / changing domains | A temporary promo or maintenance page |
| Forcing HTTPS (http → https) | Geo/locale redirects that may change |
| Merging duplicate pages | Anything genuinely short-lived |

**Rule of thumb:** if you'd be happy for the new URL to *replace* the old one in Google, use **301**. If you want to keep the old URL as the "real" one, use **302**.

## Common redirect pitfalls

- **Redirect chains.** `A → B → C` wastes time and dilutes signals. Redirect straight to the final destination.
- **Redirect loops.** `A → B → A` breaks entirely — that's [ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS](/blog/too-many-redirects).
- **Redirecting everything to the homepage.** Moving a page? Redirect to the *relevant* replacement, not a generic home page — users (and Google) hate it.

## Don't forget to monitor them

Redirects are "set and forget" — until one silently breaks (a chain forms, a target 404s, HTTPS redirect misconfigures). Because they sit at the entrance to your site, a broken redirect can quietly block traffic. Checking that key URLs redirect where they should — and land on a 200 — keeps surprises away.

## The bottom line

| | In one line |
| --- | --- |
| **301** | Permanent move — transfers SEO to the new URL. |
| **302** | Temporary — keeps the original URL indexed. |
| **Rule** | Permanent? 301. Short-lived? 302. |
| **Avoid** | Chains, loops, and redirecting all to the homepage. |

A redirect is a one-line change with outsized SEO consequences. Reach for **301** for permanent moves (the common case), **302** only when it's genuinely temporary — and keep an eye on them so a broken redirect doesn't quietly cost you traffic.

More: [HTTP status codes explained](/blog/http-status-codes-explained) and [ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS](/blog/too-many-redirects).

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Canonical page: https://watchfor.io/blog/301-vs-302-redirects · All articles: https://watchfor.io/blog/all.md · Site guide: https://watchfor.io/llms.txt